South Auckland housing crisis

National’s HomeStart package is nothing more than a political stunt designed to beguile South Auckland voters, said Labour’s Pacific Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio.

“Few working Pasifika and Maori workers in South Auckland will be able to buy their own home under this scheme given the hard economic conditions many are currently facing.

“As long as National has no plans to reduce high unemployment and increase low wages, this is nothing more than political trickery.

“We’ve already seen from Dr Lisa Marriott’s research released last week, that the economic circumstances for low income New Zealanders are continuing to go backwards over a range of indicators including tertiary education, employment and incomes.

“The government may not believe there’s a housing crisis but everyone that is working at the coal face of the community in South Auckland knows there’s a housing crisis.

“People living in cold, concrete floored garages, or sleeping in cars are not signs of a brighter future National promised in the last election. In the last 8 years Pasifika home ownership has fallen to 18.5% while Maori home ownership also dropped to 28.2% for the same period.

“People can only afford and sustain regular payments on a mortgage or market rents when people are in full-time permanent jobs earning high incomes, not casual or part-time work on minimum wage.

“Labour’s answer to the housing crisis is far more comprehensive and realistic – it’s about building more affordable homes, creating more jobs, higher incomes and the best start for our children including educational opportunities and healthcare,” said Su’a William Sio.